I took a World Religions class in Summer 2008 while making my thesis film for an MFA in Film and Television at Savannah College of Art and Design. I took this class because it was an online course and I was living in New York at the time (I like to take the hard route!) so it was an easy way to make up the credits I needed for that quarter.
While this class was the last class I ever thought I'd be interested in taking (I'm not a religious person) it turned out to be the most thought provoking and challenging class I could have taken that quarter.
The teacher was excellent and although most of my 'classmates' were Christians it was fascinating to watch everyone query their own belief systems in order to grapple with the concepts we were exploring each week. Some students didn't deal with it as well as others, begging the question why someone would take a World religions class if they felt their belief system would need to be so desperately defended at the mere mention of Islam, Hinduism or Judaism.
I personally learned more than I thought I would, seeing that I already have a comprehensive understanding of most world religions due to my TCK upbringing. The religions I found most compelling during the class were Hinduism and Islam respectively. The religions I found the least compelling were Christianity and Buddhism respectively.
Although I was brought up as a protestant Christian, from an early age I realized it had no personal interest for me. Buddhism I kind of fell into, mostly because of my interest in the Dalai Lama and Freeing Tibet. I came across several videos and interviews with the Dalai Lama and from there starting buying books that explained more of his philosophies and the philosophies of Buddhism as a whole.
From there I started downloading podcasts, such as Zencast (which does wonders for me anytime I listen to the speakers. They make everything so understandable.) and Urban Dharma - check out Itunes for their free downloadable podcasts.
Interestingly enough, as I have become more and more involved in the practice of Buddhism over the last year, it has come to be the 'religion' (well spiritual practice) that most fits with my personal beliefs and understand of the world. I've heard it expressed by other Buddhists that they didn't think much of Buddhism as a student learning about religion until they actually started practicing, and then they were hooked. The practice makes the theory so much more compelling and understandable when you are actually doing it and seeing the results.
In terms of having a Buddhist community, I don't have much choice but to go online to find one because I live in an Islamic country. So, that's what I did. I didn't expect to find much, but one great Buddhist teaching I received in doing so, was to learn that there's nothing that brings your awareness to how interconnected we all are than simply getting involved with people on the internet. One website led to another. One dharma talk led to new ideas and new teachers. One podcast led to yoga podcasts and even podcasts on Buddhist economics!
Tiny Buddha is the websites that has linked me to the most fascinating and informative blogs that I have found on the internet. So much so, that I now almost have too much to do and read on the internet! As part of my Buddhist practice, I was supposed to be cutting back on my internet usage in order to stay more in the moment rather than seek escape, but I have discovered a world full of so much positivity, love and encouragement that I'm wondering why I even leave the house anymore! The real world seems so much duller and negative.
In saying that, I understand that the point is to draw upon the online community in order to bring more to yourself and others in your daily life that occurs off the internet. Therefore, while 2010 was primarily a year of discoveries and learning from those who are sharing their daily experiences online, for me 2011 is going to be all about putting what I've learned into practice in order to extend out into the world the branches of good work that so many people are doing online.
There is so much that can prove to us everyday how bad the internet can be for people and the world. Ultimately, this is because most people are simply unaware of all the good that is being put into practice globally by the people who truly wish to make a difference everyday, many of whom use the internet as their medium for communication.
I'm thankful I'm part of that community and also that this community is growing everyday as word spreads. And on that note I'm off to drop a love bomb for a woman I've never met and whose blog I just found out about!
Are you ready to drop a love bomb today?
